History Tells Bucs It's Time To Start Trying Experiments

October 5, 1985|By Jerry Greene of the Sentinel Staff

Well, the good news is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can forget any pretensions about making the playoffs. Not since the current format began in 1978 has a team reached the playoffs after losing its first four games.

With that cold statistic in mind, one wonders why the Bucs don't dedicate the rest of the season to experimentation?

How about a four-man defensive line? Or how about throwing to the wide receivers? What a wild concept.

Maybe they could move Hugh Green to cornerback. He'd get all the attention he wants that way.

One thing is certain: Nobody is going to be accusing the Bucs of shaving points. Right now they avoid shaving their faces for fear of cutting their throats.

LAST WEEK: Oh ye of little faith. Except for being wrong on Tampa Bay and Cincinnati for the fourth consecutive week, Greene bounced back like a rubber ball. (Use this space for any ''rubber ball'' jokes, but don't call me.) The straight-up record was a terrific 10-4 (33-23 for season), and against-the- spread was a solid 9-5 (26-28-2 for season). Unfortunately, this week's games may cause a run on second mortgages.

PITTSBURGH (2-2) at MIAMI (3-1): Fish favored by 7 1/2. . . . Game of the day. Steelers have No. 1 passing defense against No. 1 passing offense of Fish in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game. . . . Steelers Coach Chuck Noll says ''consistency'' will determine outcome. How do you teach consistency, coach? ''There are so many factors involved with your own team. Then you take the factors involved with the other team. What you get is a geometric explosion of the factors involved.'' . . . Thank goodness that's settled. . . . In a geometric point-spread upset, Fish by 6.

KANSAS CITY (3-1) at LA RAIDERS (2-2): Raiders favored by 3. . . . Will Raiders use Rusty Hilger at QB? Growls defensive end Lyle Alzado: ''A lot of us don't consider him a third-string quarterback.'' Right on, Lyle. Hilger's a fourth-string QB. . . . In an Upset Special, Chiefs by 7.

DALLAS (3-1) at NEW JERSEY GIANTS (3-1): Giants favored by 2 1/2. . . . Wives and sweethearts will be delighted to learn that this game is on TV at 9. There's nothing like 12 hours of Sunday football to cement a relationship. . . . But have a heart, girls, because this is an interesting match. My guess is Giants LB Lawrence Taylor will debut in his prime-time show, Murder He Wrote. . . . Giants by 10.

CHICAGO (4-0) at TAMPA BAY (0-4): Bears favored by 8 1/2. . . . Here's a game that won't be on TV thanks to a mercy ruling by the FCC. Did you hear the one about the young boy who was taken away from his parents because they beat him unmercifully? He asked the courts to place him in the custody of the Bucs ''because they never beat anybody.'' . . . In a foolish point-spread upset, Bears by just 7.

DETROIT (3-1) at GREEN BAY (1-3): Pack favored by 3 1/2. . . . Quote of the Week goes to Pack QB Lynn Dickey when asked why he took himself out of the starting lineup. ''Don't try to dig into my mind because there's nothing there.'' . . . No argument, Lynn, but all of the Lions are pretty empty- headed, too, and Pack has been waiting to get into division schedule. . . . Pack by 6.

SAN FRANCISCO (2-2) at ATLANTA (0-4): 49ers favored by 11 1/2. . . . Only the Falcons could have scored first in their opening four games -- and lost all four. Yes, the 49ers are sick -- but nobody is sick enough to lose to New Orleans and Atlanta on successive weeks. . . . 49ers by 14.

SAN DIEGO (2-2) at SEATTLE (2-2): Seahawks favored by 13 1/2. . . . Just what the ailing Seahawks need -- a chance to run up their stats like they did in 49-35 victory last month. And Chargers are without Dan Fouts, which is like Rambo without a gun. . . . Seahawks by 17.

NEW JERSEY JETS (3-1) at CINCINNATI (1-3): Bengals favored by 3. . . . Darn those Bengals. I finally get off them and they win. Says Bengals LB Reggie Williams: ''It's like Dracula rising from the grave.'' . . . Okay, take a little more of my blood. . . . Bengals by 6.

BUFFALO (0-4) at INDIANAPOLIS (1-3): Dolts favored by 3 1/2. . . . The Game of the Month. . . . How tough have the Bills had it? Against New England, Patsies' Stanley Morgan ran into crowd on Bills' sidelines -- and Bills' Owen Bossman ended up with two broken ribs and a collapsed lung. . . . Who's Owen Bossman? The Bills' team doctor. . . . Dolts by 4 ribs and a spleen.

ST. LOUIS (3-1) at WASHINGTON (1-3): Monday night. Cards favored by 1 1/ 2. . . . How dead are the Oldskins? They have been outscored, 57-7, in second half this season. Only team in league that uses halftime to take a nap. . . . Cards by 14.